Free resume templates probably sound like something a creative professional might want to avoid using, especially if you’re a graphic designer. But that’s not the case, for two reasons.
Firstly, most employers are not looking for overdesigned, flashy resumes; they wish to digest the basic facts about you in a clear & uncluttered way. Secondly, if you want to add your design touches, then free resume templates are generally customizable in your most-liked software, whether that’s Photoshop or Illustrator.
Free resume templates are not generally known for their high-quality. But there are some decent ones worth downloading, and I have rounded up 16 of the best and highly-rated here, each providing a slightly different take on the format.
Best 16 free resume templates
Want some inspiration before you begin putting together your resume? These instances of creative resumes all stand out from the crowd in original & imaginative ways.
1. Stylish free resume template
Another best free resume templates in this stylish design from graphic designer Fadhli Robbi. Created in Adobe Illustrator, you can easily edit this template to create new color schemes, add or delete selected sections and change fonts so that the overall design fully reflects your style.
2. Free resume template with a business card
It’s convenient when free resume templates come with added extras, & this one fits right into that bracket. Created by Alamin Mir, in collaboration with Grapphiora (formerly Pixelll), this pack includes a cover letter, image portfolio page, resume, and bonus two-sided business card. Everything is fully customizable.
3. Three-part free resume template
Indonesian graphic designer Angga Baskara creates it; this incredible template covers all the bases with three sections:
1. The primary info page featuring eye-catching progress bars to illustrate your main skills.
2. A covering letter.
3. A portfolio section where you can easily add a selection of your work, in the form of images & short descriptions.
4. Material Design free resume template
One of the top free resume templates inspired by Google’s Material Design framework includes areas for a professional profile, work experience, skill circles, education, skill bars, social media icons, & images. It is supplied in A4-size format for Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. And if you would like a covering letter & portfolio template, too, the premium version includes extra color options, matching business card templates, & custom icons.
5. Clean and colorful free resume template
Here is one of the most straightforward yet elegant, free resume templates we have seen in a long while. Designed by Raka Caesar, it provides a visual guide to your work history, using icons to reveal your interests & a chart-type system to convey your relative strengths in different skills. Besides, the file is in the PSD format, so it is fully customizable if you want to replace or add any content.
6. Creative free resume template
This template is perfect for producing the best-looking resume that you can easily customize to your personal taste. You can use it as-is, changing the text & adding a photograph, or you can spend time editing the colors & tweaking the layout until you’ve something that more accurately reflects your personality.
7. Vintage-style free resume template
This splendidly vintage-looking template contains deliciously earthy tones & comes as an AI file so you can easily adjust it to your heart’s content. Be aware, though, that the fonts are not included, so you will either have to hunt them down yourself (luckily, they are all free fonts) or substitute your own.
8. Professional, free resume template
Many free resume templates are created by designers who are fairly new to the profession and wondering for exposure. But here is a notable exception. Chris Do is the award-winning designer, founder, & CEO of Santa Monica studio Blind. And he is made the template of his personal resume free to download for job seekers in the industry through the online education platform The Futur.
Moreover, the document comes in both an Adobe Illustrator file & a PDF, and the design is pretty simple and formal. And while it is not exactly going to wow anyone as a visual, that’s the point. Rely on the real resume of such successful creative highlights; less can be more for job applications.
9. Creative designer free resume template
Fully layered & well-organized to keep customization friendly and comfortable, this bold and punchy visual template allows you to get yourself & your skills across quickly, without any messing around. Besides, it comes as a print-ready 300dpi A4 PSD, ready for editing in Photoshop.
10. Timeline free resume template
Graphic designer Patryk Korycki created this timeline-based template. It is supplied as an AI file; it employs the free typeface, Open Sans, with different fields available to enter your education details, interests, skills, etc.
11. Clean free resume template
This most customizable of free resume templates come from designer Mats-Peter Forss. It comes in both PSD & AI formats and contains a Smart Object header, so you can quickly & easily link in an image of your choice. Besides, it’s A4, 300dpi, and with 3mm bleed, so completely print-ready. Just add your logo, experience, bio, and so on, and you are ready to print and send.
12. Stylish free resume template
This most stylish free resume template features all the details you must include, along with a neat sidebar holding a profile & references. There is also a timeline in which you can easily list your employment history, an online profile section just to show how social media-savvy you’re, and even a software skills bar graph to showcase your skills. It is supplied in PSD, AI, & INDD formats.
13. Project-based free resume template
Depending on the type of app process you are dealing with, it may be appropriate to include samples of your work within your resume. These most attractive and elegant free resume templates are perfect if you’ve visual work images that you would like to include, and there is also space for a cover letter.
14. Typography-focused free resume template
Here is one of those free resume templates that probably not be to everyone’s taste, but indeed makes an impact. A central typographic column bursts out to boxes in which you can easily add your details. Additionally, the template comes in AI format, so you can easily export a PDF, and it comes in black & white to get creative with colors.
15. Icon-based free resume template
In case icons are your thing, check out this coolest of free resume templates from designer Fernando Báez. A sectionalized design, complete with stylish type & icons included (you get the CV in AI format and the icons in PSD), this template also enables you to customize it with your icons.
16. Simple free resume template
Simplicity is the key to another one of our favorite type-based free resume templates. This one puts your profile at the top, then lists experience & education in simple boxes. There is also a professional skills section allowing you to give yourself a percentage score on languages & professional skills. The Illustrator file makes the most of the color to aid the reader.
